Every fall New England is inundated with tourists referred to as "leaf peepers".
I have a great Grandfather, Jehu P. Weaver 1837-1906, buried in Augusta, Maine. My sister, Joyce, and I went to find his final resting place. He was a doctor in the Civil War for The Union and was an active advocate for women's rights and the dangers of immunizations. He and my Great Grandmother, Nancy Ann Cox 1853-1912, made their home in Chillicothie, Missouri. My Great Grandmother was also technically a Doctor with a degree, but was not allowed to actually be one so her shingle indicated midwifery...an acceptable profession for women. She was a truly independent woman who fought for women's rights and also against the dangers of immunizations. Evaline Mary Eustacia Weaver 1875-1944, my Grandmother, married a young man that had "run away" from his upper crust family in Pennsylvania to the west and ended up in Missouri. My Grandmother was a published writer and poet. I'm telling you all this because I think their old fashioned names are wonderful, but also because I love that we come from a long line of fiercely independent women that have lived "outside" the proverbial box...sometimes against their husbands will. My Great Grandmother and her Husband Jehu didn't see eye to eye and lived out their lives in different states, but never got divorced, which brings me back to Maine. I feel so fortunate that my Mother, an artist, and Dad, carried on the tradition by never telling my sisters and myself that we couldn't do or be something because we were women. So to end this LONG short story...I was a true "leaf peeper" on our Great Grandfather expedition and took as many pictures as I could of the amazingly beautiful fall leaves along the way.
I have a great Grandfather, Jehu P. Weaver 1837-1906, buried in Augusta, Maine. My sister, Joyce, and I went to find his final resting place. He was a doctor in the Civil War for The Union and was an active advocate for women's rights and the dangers of immunizations. He and my Great Grandmother, Nancy Ann Cox 1853-1912, made their home in Chillicothie, Missouri. My Great Grandmother was also technically a Doctor with a degree, but was not allowed to actually be one so her shingle indicated midwifery...an acceptable profession for women. She was a truly independent woman who fought for women's rights and also against the dangers of immunizations. Evaline Mary Eustacia Weaver 1875-1944, my Grandmother, married a young man that had "run away" from his upper crust family in Pennsylvania to the west and ended up in Missouri. My Grandmother was a published writer and poet. I'm telling you all this because I think their old fashioned names are wonderful, but also because I love that we come from a long line of fiercely independent women that have lived "outside" the proverbial box...sometimes against their husbands will. My Great Grandmother and her Husband Jehu didn't see eye to eye and lived out their lives in different states, but never got divorced, which brings me back to Maine. I feel so fortunate that my Mother, an artist, and Dad, carried on the tradition by never telling my sisters and myself that we couldn't do or be something because we were women. So to end this LONG short story...I was a true "leaf peeper" on our Great Grandfather expedition and took as many pictures as I could of the amazingly beautiful fall leaves along the way.